_If you think its general tendency right,
stay loyally with it through its common mistakes._ Try to prevent
those mistakes within the party. Fight like a man to make your party
take the right course on every question, big or little, as you see it.
But when you are unable to convince the majority of your party
associates that they are wrong; when they think that you are the
person who is wrong, fall in line with them and march in the ranks,
battling even more vigorously than you would had you prevailed. If the
majority were right and you were wrong, you ought to help execute
their views. If the majority were wrong and you were right, the
earlier that fact is demonstrated the better for you and everybody.
So keep step with your rank and file, whether your party does what you
think it ought to do or not on matters of passing moment. But I
repeat, on large issues which come to your conscience--_on questions
which you think affect the destiny of the Nation_, you are a traitor
to the Republic if, in spite of your convictions, you stand by your
party and against your country.
But to break with your party on minor issues is foolish. A certain
class is coming to regard leaving one's party as a smart thing.
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